Metta World Peace to Carmelo Anthony: Be More Like Kobe

By Cody Williams

Joe Camporeale – USA Today Sports Images

Metta World Peace is no longer a member of the New York Knicks after the team bought out and waived the 14-year NBA veteran earlier this week. However, before he went out onto the open market, the always vocal Metta had some parting words for the Knicks and Carmelo Anthony, but not in the way that you might think.

In an interview with Frank Isola of the NY Daily News, World Peace had a strong bit of advice for Anthony coming from a place of experience. Metta started by saying that the Knicks needed to be more aggressive and meaner with one another in demanding results as a whole. He then singled out Melo, saying that he needed to be more like Kobe Bryant. From the report:

“Kobe doesn’t give a (bleep), he just wants to win,” Metta said. “Melo needs to be more demanding and he needs to see results. The only difference between him and Kobe is that Kobe saw results. When Kobe said something people did that (stuff). Carmelo has no choice but to make it his personality because he’s a great player. There are not too many guys like him.”

Metta is correct in his assessment of Anthony’s talent. There aren’t many guys in the league nor have there been many guys in the history of the league that have the skill and ability to score at the level that Melo routinely can. However, we’ve never seen him display those Kobe levels of intensity with his teammates. Perhaps that’s not his style of leadership, but there’s a line between passive and Kobe that Melo needs to toe more often.

The Knicks clearly have issues beyond Anthony’s leadership abilities. However, it’s possible that Melo demanding more of his team might light a spark under this team that could still make a run at a spot in the postseason. It’s equally possible that it wouldn’t matter. If you ask Metta World Peace, though, it would make all the difference for the Knicks and the trajectory of Anthony’s career.